The Monitor. [volume] (Woodstown, N.J.) 1884-1892, 1887-12-23
THE "NINETY AND NINE"

was led to see the beauty of the character
of Christ in the parable of the Good Sbep-
herd. She possessed genius, and some
times expressed her best thoughts and
feelings in verse. The vision of Christ
leaving the glories of heaven and becoming
a seeker of men who had gone astray, like
an Eastern shepherd seeking wandering
sheep in perilous places, touched her heart
with poetic fervor, and she wrote the
hymn beginning:
''rhere were ninety and nine that safely lay
In the shadow of the fold"
One of the stanzas most wildly and ten
derby expressed her clear view Of divine
sympathy and compassion.
"But none of the ransomed ever knew,
How deep were the waters crossed
Nor how dark was the night when the Lord
passed through
Ere he found his sheep that was lost:
Out in the desert he heard the cry
Sick and helpless and ready 10 die"
The poem was published in local pa
per, and the lady soon afterwards died aud
went TO the Good Shepherd, whose love for
The wandering and perishing had gained
the affections and service of her life. She
was buried in one of the ehurchyards of
beautiful Melrose.
The efforts of sincere life always meet
with the needs of others, and are often
given under Providence special mission
in the world. The simplicity and fervor
of the poem gained for it an unexpected
recognition Immediately. The American
evangelist, Mr.. Sankey, was one day re-
turning from Edinburgh to Glasgow, to
hold farewell meeting. Glasgow had
been the scene of the most signal triumphs
in the works of Messrs. Moody and San
key, and his farewell gathering promised
to be one Of thanksgiving and tears, of
wonderful interest, power and feeling.
Mr.. Sankey, on this occasion, desired to
introduce new hymn which should rep
resent Christ as compassionate and all
sufficient Saviour. ''Before getting on til e
train, he says, 81 went to the news stand
and bought two or three papers-some sec
ular, some religious, and in one of them |
found the following beautiful verses:
''rhere were ninety and nine that safely lay,
In the shadow of the fold etc.
81 said to my brother Moody, that
just the hymn Eve been wanting. think
the Lord has really sent it to usr
Next day the little tune or chant it is
set to, came to me.
1--WE went into the noon meeting and
dear Mr.. Bonar, who has written so many
beautiful hymns-I was a wandering
sheep and did not love the fold, and Il
heard the voice of Jesus say, Come unto
me and rest'-was there, and the thought
came to me, we must sing this hymn that
the Lord has sent down tous
'The time had scarcely formed itself in
my head yet. but Just cut the words from
the paper, put it in front of me on the
organ, and began to sing them, hardly
knowing where the time was coming from.
But the Lord said, ''Sing it, and as We
were singing it His Spirit came upon ns,
and what blessed meeting we hadr'
The meeting was a very crowded one,
and tender feelings were awakened in all
hearts, bringing wildly to all minds, as it
did, the fact that the world is full of fare
wells. The imagery of the hymn, the
shepherd, The sheep. fold, the dark night on
the hills, the anxious search and the JOY full
return, was in harmony with Scottish as
sociations, and touched the best feelings of
the converts and inquirers.
Away in the gallery sat lady who was
at first startled, and then deeply affected
by the hymn. She was unable to speak
with the sweet singer in the confusion that
followed the close of the meeting, but she
soon after wrote to him from Melrose and
said: 81 thank you for having sung, the
other day, my deceased sisters words.
She wrote them five years ago. She is in
heaven now
The hymn has had tender mission.
Thousands seeking the help of power out
side of their own sinful nature, have seen
in it the vision that the prophet saw: And
| looked, and there was none to help; and
wondered that there was none to uphold;
therefore mine own arm brought salvation
unfn me- - EreLHn0s